Wireless networks, such as cellular wireless networks, may provide network connectivity to mobile devices, such as smart phones. Wireless networks are increasingly becoming data-centric networks that are used for data-intensive applications.
Cell sites in a wireless network can become congested. For example, during peak usage periods, a base station, which may provide wireless connectivity to mobile devices connected to the cell site, may experience a high load of the radio resources (e.g., the radio spectrum used by the base station may be near maximum capacity) or of the computing resources of the base station. Accordingly, it may be desirable for applications that transmit data over wireless networks to transmit the data during non-peak usage periods. Network operators may be willing to charge reduced data rates for data transmissions during non-peak usage periods.
Some applications, when installed by a user at a mobile device, may communicate with the wireless network such that data may be paid for by a party other than the user of the mobile device. For example, the application developer or distributor of a particular application (called a “third-party application herein”) may be responsible for any charges, that are charged by the network operator, for data transmitted or received by the third-party application. In this situation, the data may be thought of as “sponsored data” that is toll-free for the user of the mobile device.